Microsoft planning to pay $75 billion to shareholders
SEATTLE -- Microsoft Corp. plans to pay out most of its cash hoard directly to shareholders through a combination of dividends and stock buybacks totaling up to $75 billion over four years, the software maker said Tuesday, ending speculation about what it planned to do with its billions in cash reserves.

Airline company earns profit
DALLAS -- The parent of American Airlines earned a small operating profit and Northwest Airlines Corp. posted a smaller-than-expected loss for the second quarter, but investors remained wary that high fuel costs and fare wars will continue to plague carriers.

Neighbors: News, notes from Lincolnville ...
Butterfield Garage Art Gallery is having another "Garage Sale" at 137 King St. Along with all the other fine artists in that group, hopefully Beau Redmond -- who has roamed the streets of Lincolnville, capturing some of our more inspiring scenes -- will be bringing out some of his previous paintings for this walk down art's memory lane.

News Notes
Read about news, meetings and upcoming events in St. Augustine.

Column of the Day: Bridge Results
It's again time for St. Augustine Duplicate Bridge Club members to form their Swiss Teams and register to play in the "4th Thursday" stratified game to be held at the St. Augustine Bridge Center, 10 Fairbanks St. at 12:30 p.m. Thursday.

People: Prince is turning down his mojo
"I have a responsibility to young fans to perform in a manner that I would like my children to be performed in front of," Prince says in an interview to air Tuesday on CBS News' "The Early Show."

Notes
A check with state gator management folks said that there were still some permits available. The Web site is www.wildflorida.org/gators/public.htm for those who may be interested ...

Fishing: You get a good look on fish from the sky
On Tuesday afternoon, my grandson Corey Acosta and I took a parasailing ride from the deck of the Hang Time Watersports of St. Augustine's tow boat. It was a lot of fun, something I've been wanting to do forever, and it gave me a different perspective on what it means to look for pogey pods.

Chill out with soup
CONCORD, N.H. -- Peter Berley became inspired to write his latest cookbook, an ode to fast and flavorful, after realizing how much trouble his teenage daughter would have preparing recipes from his first.

Fennel and lemon team up for pork
Fennel and lemon give character to the seasoning of this quickly cooked boneless pork chop saute -- which otherwise has no secrets, just a few helpful comments from the recipe creators.

Ask Heloise: Cake mix brownies are yummy and so easy
Dear Heloise: I used to have a recipe from you that I have since lost -- too many moves. I am looking for the recipe in which you make brownies from a cake mix. I would love to replace that recipe -- it was good and so easy. I am sure that a lot of your fans would also love the recipe. -- Cindy, Via E-mail

Plan your menus around the seasons
CONCORD, N.H. -- For Jack Bishop's family, eating seasonally and locally is simple thanks to a community-supported farm they joined four years ago.

'Hysterical Hostess' offers meals in minutes
Dotty Loop is at it again. This time the author of "Dining Without a Dishwasher" has produced "The Hysterical Hostess," a collection of, she says, 100 all new recipes that are easy.

Variety will please pregnant vegetarians
CONCORD, N.H. -- Once the shock of learning I had begun the nine-month countdown to becoming a father wore off, it quickly was replaced by joy and, of course, utter and complete horror.

FCTI offers cooking classes
First Coast Technical Institute's award-winning School of Culinary Arts is offering short, made-to-order cooking courses this fall. Each course features a meal to enjoy and recipes to take home.

Ready, set, hit the grill
Lean beef top-round steak, marinated and grilled, can be a flavorful low-fat choice for weeknight family meals.

Preventing disease is better than treating it later
Medical check-ups are essential to remain in good health. Nowhere is the saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," more relevant than in our investment of health promotion and illness prevention.

Dr. Donohue: Certain viruses cause cancer of the cervix
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am a 35-year-old, divorced woman with no children and have just gotten the shock of my life. I had my yearly gynecologic exam two weeks ago, and the doctor called to tell me I had an abnormal Pap test. He said I probably have a viral infection that could lead to cancer. He scheduled me for a scope exam. Please put all this into perspective for me. I am quite worried. What is the treatment? -- S.A.

Dr. Donohue: SBE is a serious heart valve infection
DEAR DR. DONOHUE: My son lives three states away from his father and me. He is 27 and has been on his own since graduating from college four years ago. He called us to tell us he might have SBE. He is very tight-lipped and did not go into details other than to say it is a heart infection. What is it? How serious is it? -- R.V.

House votes to block stock options mandate
WASHINGTON -- The House voted Tuesday to override a rule that would require companies to count stock options against their profits, but a key senator promised to block such action in that chamber.

Grasso sues NYSE for $50 million
NEW YORK -- Former New York Stock Exchange chief Richard A. Grasso, ousted last year amid turmoil over his huge pay package, lashed back at the exchange Tuesday, suing it for at least $50 million, claiming breach of contract and defamation.

Greenspan says Congress needs controls to keep budget in line
WASHINGTON -- Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Wednesday that Congress has lost the ability to manage crucial long-term budget issues and new mechanisms are needed to keep future costs from ballooning beyond the nation's ability to pay.

Bush offers agenda in fund-raising speech
WASHINGTON -- President Bush sketched out a second-term domestic agenda Wednesday that would shift focus to improving high school education and expanding access to health care, and charged that Democratic rival John Kerry would raise taxes -- the "wrong medicine" for the economy, Bush said.

Tax cut bill hits deadlock
WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration and Republican-controlled Congress deadlocked over tax cut legislation on Wednesday, but a White House concession breathed new life into a separate election-year issue, a long-stalled highway bill.

New wildfire erupts north of L.A.
ACTON, Calif. -- A wildfire spread rapidly through desert brush toward stands of dead trees Wednesday in northern Los Angeles County after prompting the evacuation of 175 homes.

Police Report: Burglaries, Thefts
The following was compiled from police reports collected from the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office (SJCSO), St. Augustine Police Department (SAPD) and St. Augustine Beach Police Department (SABPD)

More bone fragments found at Marineland
A half-dozen small human bone fragments were found at Marineland on Tuesday, but they are unlikely to stop a proposed condo and marina development, Mayor Jim Netherton said.

Feds probe Clinton aide over missing documents
WASHINGTON -- Former national security adviser Sandy Berger quit Tuesday as an informal adviser to Democrat John Kerry's presidential campaign after disclosure of a criminal investigation into whether he mishandled classified terrorism documents.

SJRCC president: More funds are needed
PALATKA -- St. Johns River Community College President Robert McLendon said Wednesday despite the school's 2004-2005 approved budget, more money is needed for growth.

County bond list draws criticism
With their vote on a $41 million capital improvement bond issue set for next week, St. Johns County commissioners thought it wise Tuesday to hear public comment about the 18 projects on the final list.

Proposed county budget: $330 M
County Administrator Ben Adams presented a $330 million budget proposal for 2005 to the St. Johns County Commission on Tuesday, noting that this budget is $61 million less than 2004's.

Police Report: Jail Log
The following was compiled from police reports collected from the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office (SJCSO), St. Augustine Police Department (SAPD) and St. Augustine Beach Police Department (SABPD)

Sept. 11 panel: hijackers exploited 'deep institutional failings'
WASHINGTON -- The Sept. 11 commission's final report concludes the hijackers exploited "deep institutional failings within our government" over a long period but does not blame President Bush or former President Clinton for the mistakes, administration officials familiar with the findings said Wednesday.

Making a difference in a child's life
When the 8-year-old boy arrived, his clothes were too small and his shoes were too big. He carried only a balloon and was in desperately need of a bath. He didn't even have a toothbrush.

Rubin D. Tobler Love
Rubin D. Tobler Love, 53, of St. Augustine, died July 14, 2002 at Flagler Hospital. He was a native of Hazelhurst, Ga. and had recently returned home from Crescent City. He worked in lawn maintenance.

Gwen Diane Pearson
Gwen Diane Pearson, 48, of St. Augustine, died July 17, 2004, at her home. She was born in Howell, Mich., and moved to St. Augustine before her first birthday. She resided here for the rest of her life. She was an honor graduate and the recipient of the Art Award for the St. Augustine High School class of 1974. That year, she was chosen as one of four students statewide to serve as counselor at Young Life Pioneer Camp in Colorado.

Anna G. Tedeschi
Anna G. Tedeschi, 100, of Scotch Plains, N.J., died July 19, 2004, at Ashbrook Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Scotch Plains. She was a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., and was formerly of St. Augustine.

Death Elsewhere: H&R Block co-founder dies
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Richard Bloch, who co-founded H&R Block and helped build the company into the world's largest tax preparer, died Wednesday of heart failure, the company said. He was 78.

Ruth L. Taylor
Ruth L. Taylor, 73, of St. Augustine, died July 15, 2004, at Flagler Hospital. She was a native and lifelong resident of St. Augustine. She was a cook for 26 years at the South Seas Restaurant. She was of the Baptist faith.

David Jeffrey Geer
David Jeffrey Geer, 57, of St. Augustine, died July 18, 2004, at his home. He was an electrical engineer for Johnson & Johnson Vistakon and was in the U.S. Navy.

Frederick A. Sparrow
Frederick A. Sparrow, 22, of St. Augustine, died July 14, 2004, at Shands Hospital in Jacksonville. He was a native and lifelong resident of St. Augustine. He was educated through the local school systems, and was a prep cook at the St. Augustine Lighthouse restaurant.

Alice Foren Morann
Alice Foren Morann, 89, of Orlando, died May 30, 2004, at her home. She played piano in church for many years and was a volunteer for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program in St. Augustine.

Gwen Diane Pearson
Gwen Diane Pearson, 48, of St. Augustine, died July 17, 2004 at her home. She was born in Howell, Mich., and moved to St. Augustine before her first birthday. She resided here for the rest of her life. She was an honor graduate, and the recipient of the Art Award for the St. Augustine High School class of 1974. That year, she was chosen as one of four students statewide to serve as counselor at Young Life Pioneer Camp in Colorado.

Letter: Clarifying Lennon's quote
Editor: Sometimes my mouth gets me in trouble. On July 7, at the VIC transportation facility meeting, I asked a question on the garage security plan. I wanted to make sure that the structure would be safe for our visitors and residents at all times.

Perspective: Examining what history reveals about our country
I am responding to a statement that appeared in the Cronkite Negativity article dated 6/9/04 in the "letters" section of The St. Augustine Record. The statement was, "We are a free and good nation because we have been on the right side of history in mankind's struggle against evil." I find that statement extremely "odd" considering what history reveals about our nation and us.

Letter: Parking on new sidewalk
Editor: The newly constructed sidewalk between State Road 206 south on A1A to the Matanzas Inlet was (and is) a terrific idea. However, it is only about three months old and already the concrete is broken and needs repairs in approximately 30 places.

Letter: Questions 'secret' files
Editor: I have just received a letter requesting money and a signature for a petition that John Kerry release his "secret" files. This comes from a group or place called The Patrick Henry Center For Individual Liberty and is a letter that deals only in innuendo. It is this kind of side line slander that moves me away from the Republican Party.

Letter: On gays in the church
Editor: I have followed with interest the issue of homosexuality in some of our church denominations. Most notable, of course, have been the election of an openly gay bishop and the blessing of same sex marriages in the Episcopal Church.

Perspective: Politics today: The greatest deliberative body
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Senate likes to be known as "the world's greatest deliberative body," but the times it acts like it are few and far between. Issues of great import -- for instance, why the United States invaded Iraq -- seldom are given long and serious attention by the full body.

Letter: Against Ronald Stafford
Editor: Until I read the story about Ronald Stafford entering the race for sheriff I had little interest in the contest. Now I'm voting for David Shoar.

Diesel Power a hit in Miami
MIAMI -- He was difficult to spot at first, when the semi-tractor trailer with the words "Diesel Power" on the side pulled up to the Miami Heat's arena.

Banks to miss first three games for latest incident
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee receiver James Banks remains suspended and will miss the season's first three games because he was cited for underage drinking after defying police orders to turn down his radio, coach Phillip Fulmer said Tuesday.

Jags get new threads for the road
JACKSONVILLE -- The Jaguars are about to become the Men In Black on the road. The team unveiled a new road uniform Wednesday that features black pants with a Jaguar head on each hip just below the waist. Numbers and letters on the white jerseys to be worn with the black pants will be black instead of teal.

Leak: A year older and more prepared
GAINESVILLE -- Chris Leak can't wait. The college football season is rapidly approaching and the University of Florida quarterback is ready to get back to work in The Swamp.

Death lurks around every race car
WASHINGTON -- It's horrifying to see any human being engulfed in flames, even if he is wearing what amounts to a suit of asbestos. But it's particularly unsettling, given that his father perished on a race track right before our eyes a little more three years ago, to see Dale Earnhardt Jr. sitting in that Chevy Corvette, smack in the middle of that tub of fire.

Int-arresting offseason continues for Florida
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- Florida linebacker Taurean Charles remained in jail Wednesday, a day after he was arrested at an off-campus party and charged with aggravated battery, a second-degree felony.

Mad Shaq is bad news for NBA
MIAMI -- Frank Sinatra once said, "The best revenge is massive success." If new Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal agrees with that, the rest of the NBA, particularly the Los Angeles Lakers, are in ser-i-ous trouble.

Olympic security costs rise as Greece grapples with foreign demands
ATHENS, Greece -- Responding to a request from Greece, the United States committed 400 American special forces soldiers to help protect the Olympics, a U.S. counterterrorism official said Wednesday, as security costs for the games swelled to a record-breaking $1.5 billion.

Dogs in Athens are the real issue
ORLANDO -- As if terrorism, blackouts, half-finished venues and Marion Jones' steroid stash weren't enough, the Athens Olympics now has a new worry.

Gators suspend Crowder, Herring for season opener
GAINESVILLE -- The Florida Gators suspended linebacker Channing Crowder and safety Jarvis Herring for the season opener after both were arrested for scuffling with police outside a local nightclub earlier this summer, the team said Tuesday.

More than half of Olympic tickets unsold
ATHENS, Greece -- Tickets! Tickets! Get your Olympic tickets! The Athens Games were supposed to make this ancient land a top tourist destination. But with just three weeks left before the opening ceremonies, the figures are hardly encouraging.

Delgado's stance involves sitting
NEW YORK -- Fervently anti-war, Carlos Delgado quietly carried out his personal protest this season, refusing to stand when "God Bless America" was played at ballparks across the majors.

JEA to pay fines after pipe pollutes canal
JACKSONVILLE (AP) -- The Jacksonville Electric Authority agreed to pay a $201,000 fine and spend $350,000 on environmental projects after a treated wastewater from a cracked pipe seeped into a small canal.

Gov. Bush again says he supports DCF chief
LAKE BUENA VISTA -- Gov. Jeb Bush repeated his support Tuesday for Department of Children & Families Secretary Jerry Regier, whose leadership is being criticized by Republican and Democratic lawmakers after an investigation showed questionable relationships with vendors.

Company: State knew of problems with felons list since 1998
SARASOTA -- State election officials knew since at least 1998 that a recently scrapped felons list designed to clear convicted felons from voter rolls would have a glitch and exclude Hispanics, according to a company that helped create the list.

Convictions erased for four men in game scam
JACKSONVILLE (AP) -- An appeals court has erased convictions for four men found guilty in a multimillion-dollar scheme to cash in on stolen winning tickets in McDonald's games such as "Monopoly" and "Who Wants to be a Millionaire."

U.S. death toll in Iraq hits 900
WASHINGTON -- American soldiers in Iraq have been dying at a rate of two a day since Iraqis regained political control on June 28 -- a drop from the deadliest months of violence before the handover but still about the same rate overall as in the 16 months since the U.S. invasion.

Two Israeli soldiers and guerrilla killed in fighting
BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Israeli soldiers clashed with Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas along the border Tuesday, leaving two soldiers and one guerrilla dead and prompting an Israeli general to threaten Hezbollah and its sponsors -- Syria and Iran.

Six truck drivers abducted in Iraq
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- Militants took six foreign truck drivers hostage and threatened Wednesday to behead them unless their company ends its business in Iraq, and their countries -- India, Egypt and Kenya -- pull all their citizens out.

Whaling conference OKs measures
SORRENTO, Italy (AP) -- Opponents of whaling won a victory Wednesday in their battle against the use of grenade-tipped harpoons when the International Whaling Commission approved measures aimed at saving the giant mammals from what animal-rights activists say are slow, painful deaths.

Insurgents free Filipino truck driver
BAGHDAD, Iraq -- A Filipino truck driver held hostage in Iraq for nearly two weeks was freed Tuesday, a day after his nation withdrew its final peacekeepers from Iraq -- a move that met the kidnappers' demands but angered U.S. and Iraqi officials.

Saudi security forces find head of slain American
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia -- Saudi security forces found the head of American hostage Paul M. Johnson Jr. in a freezer during a raid on a suspected al-Qaida hideout that came days before the expiration of a monthlong amnesty offered to militants, officials said Wednesday.

Danish teen allowed to join family in Florida
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) -- A 16-year-old Danish girl forced to leave her parents and sisters in the United States because of a quirk in U.S. immigration law, left for Florida on Wednesday to be reunited with her family.